St. Charles' Church (Die Karlskirche)

This outstanding church named Karlskirche, is one of Viennas most beautiful baroque church structures -  and boasts a dome in the shape of an elongated ellipsoid! No matter what time of the day you visit, the impression of the architecture, the colours, the light that falls on the building and its reflection on the little lake in front, the atmosphere, etc...try and remember this when you walk closer towards the main entrance - it is stunning!

The Karlskirche is laid out on an enchanting square within a small park right in the centre of Vienna - the Karlsplatz. This place is not that much of a very well-known attraction among foreigners...and is mainly visited by locals, their children and students from the nearby Technical University studying on one of the many benches located there.

It is a very peaceful atmosphere and we definitely recommend you to spend some time here - not only is it charming, but this area tends to be much less crowded then other areas or other churches. In case you need a cup of coffee - go to the Gasthof Resselpark right in front of the University's main entrance - one of Vienna's nicer cafés where you can take a break with seating outside in the park.

The Karlskirche is a Christian cathedral that is beautiful in its own right and was originally dedicated to the Saint Charles Bartolomeo for helping deliver Vienna through a plague epidemic in the 17th century. So much for the reason why it is there...

But there is one special thing about this top attraction and you should not really miss it:  Right next to the entrance there is an elevator that takes you to a platform suspended within the dome of the cathedral. Walking along this platform you will be able to get a very close view to the impressive ceiling frescoes that the Karlskirche offers - this is truly unique here and you will get a good impression on how difficult and complicated the production of frescoes must have been.

But this is not all: in the center of the platform the staircase continues and will take you to the lantern above the Karlskirche Dome - here you will be able to experience wonderful views of the city centre, but also get the best view possilbe on these above mentioned frescoes. You will be so close now that you can easily imagine how the artist must have felt while painting these exquisite works of art! Rember, you will be very high up in the structure, so make sure that you are not afraid of heights if you embark on this exceptional adventure.

 

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